Southeast

Kentucky judge rejects Bob Baffert stay but delays suspension to April 4

Published

2 years ago

March 22, 2022

NEWNow you can take heed to Fox Information articles!

A Kentucky decide has denied Bob Baffert’s request to remain his 90-day suspension however delayed it till April 4 to permit his representatives to hunt emergency aid by the state’s Court docket of Appeals.

Kentucky Horse Racing Fee stewards final month suspended Baffert for 90 days, fining him $7,500, and disqualified Medina Spirit for having the corticosteroid betamethasone in his system when he gained the Kentucky Derby final yr. Baffert’s attraction to racing officers was denied, however the suspension that was scheduled to start March 8 was delayed pending a court docket listening to.

Franklin Circuit Decide Thomas Wingate stated Monday that “the court docket understands the gravity of this ruling” on Baffert and can alleviate the impression by staying implementation of the suspension. He added, “Nonetheless, absent aid from a reviewing court docket, the penalties imposed by Stewards Rulings 21-0009 and 21-0010 shall take impact on April 4, 2022.”

Coach Bob Baffert wins his seventh Kentucky Derby after successful the 147th Working of the Kentucky Derby on Might 1, 2021 at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.
(Brian Spurlock/Icon Sportswire through Getty Photographs)

Baffert legal professional Clark Brewster in an announcement expressed disappointment within the court docket’s choice and stated, “Given the significance of the matter, we intend to instantly attraction to the Kentucky Court docket of Appeals.”

Attorneys for Baffert have argued that the betamethasone in Medina Spirit’s system got here from a topical ointment, fairly than an injection, which is banned. Racing officers have stated irrespective of the supply, betamethasone just isn’t allowed on race day.

If upheld, the suspension would start on the tail finish of the qualifying season for the Kentucky Derby scheduled for Might 7 at Churchill Downs. It will successfully take away the Corridor of Fame coach from collaborating within the Triple Crown, which incorporates the Preakness on Might 21 and Belmont Stakes on June 11.

Craig Robertson, one other of Baffert’s legal professionals, had argued in court docket final week that if Baffert was pressured to serve his suspension now, “he’s by no means going to get these days again if he wins on attraction.”

Legal professionals for the fee cited 4 remedy violations by Baffert over the previous yr, and legal professional Jennifer Wolsing stated he “presents an elevated threat of re-offense.”

Wingate rejected Baffert’s declare of irreparable hurt and stated that not like an athlete’s finite interval of eligibility and efficiency, as a coach he’s extra of a coach than an athlete. The decide wrote that the horses, as athletes, have that finite window of eligibility and efficiency.

Wingate additionally stated the court docket was assured the suspension wouldn’t destroy Baffert’s profession and famous the coach’s intent to proceed. Any hurt from lacking the Triple Crown or different races can be financial and never irreparable below state legislation.

“Baffert’s observe file speaks for itself,” the ruling said.

KENTUCKY RACING BOARD UPHOLDS BOB BAFFERT’S SUSPENSION

Wingate additionally wrote that the appeals court docket’s ruling in a 2015 case towards coach H. Graham Movement makes clear that the Kentucky Horse Racing Fee has the ability to determine rules, and that the impact of a banned drug is related.

Baffert additionally has sued Churchill Downs in federal court docket, searching for to problem his two-year suspension by the Louisville residence of the Kentucky Derby.

Animal Wellness Motion govt director Marty Irby applauded the Kentucky court docket’s choice and stated in an announcement that horse racing has been plagued “time and time once more” by Baffert’s scandals.

Irby added: “Baffert has snubbed the rule of legislation and evaded the implications of his actions for a lot too lengthy – the Run for the Roses can be paved with extra credibility than we’ve seen in a few years if Baffert and his horses will not be current.”

Racing officers in California, the place Baffert is predicated, have stated they are going to honor the suspension whether it is upheld. Medina Spirit died on Dec. 6 of a coronary heart assault following a exercise at a Santa Anita observe. A necropsy discovered no definitive trigger for his dying.

PETA Senior Vice President Kathy Guillermo additionally expressed aid with the choice, saying in an announcement that horses nonetheless have to be protected against Baffert’s “experimental pharmacology.”

Guillermo added, “If Baffert is suspended, we hope he’ll use these 90 days to ponder a everlasting retirement from racing.”

Learn the complete article from Here

Southeast

3 Alabama men die after becoming distressed while swimming at Florida beach

Published

2 hours ago

June 26, 2024

Press Room

Three Alabama men have died from likely drowning after becoming distressed while swimming at a Florida Panhandle beach, authorities said Saturday morning.

The young men had traveled to the Panama City Beach area Friday evening, the Bay County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.

PENNSYLVANIA PARENTS VACATIONING WITH CHILDREN IN FLORIDA DROWN AFTER GETTING CAUGHT IN RIP CURRENT

Authorities say three Alabama men are dead from likely drowning after becoming distressed while swimming at a Florida Panhandle beach. (Fox News)

The sheriff’s office received an emergency call about the distressed swimmers shortly after 8 p.m., officials said. The U.S. Coast Guard and others began rescue efforts. The men, who were not immediately identified, were found separately and eventually pronounced dead at local hospitals.

Earlier this week, single red flags had been posted at the beach, indicating high-hazard surf and rip current conditions.

On Thursday, a Pennsylvania couple visiting Florida with their six children drowned after they were caught in a rip current while swimming. The man and woman were caught in the current on Hutchinson Island, along Florida’s southeast coast, the Martin County Sheriff’s Office said in a Facebook post.

Read the full article from Here

Southeast

Kentucky nightclub shooting leaves 1 dead, 7 hospitalized

Published

9 hours ago

June 25, 2024

Press Room

An early morning shooting at a Louisville, Kentucky, nightclub Saturday left one man dead and seven others hospitalized, police confirmed to Fox News Digital, adding that there are no suspects.

The man was suffering from gunshot wounds when first responders arrived, the Louisville Metro Police Department said in a release, and was pronounced dead at the scene.

The deceased was identified as Joseph D. Bowers of Indianapolis, The Associated Press reported.

Another adult who was shot was taken to the hospital with critical and life-threatening wounds following the 12:47 a.m. shooting.

SHOOTING OUTSIDE ARKANSAS GROCERY STORE LEAVES 3 DEAD, MULTIPLE WOUNDED, INCLUDING 2 LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS

An early morning shooting at a Louisville, Kentucky, nightclub Saturday left one man dead and seven others hospitalized, police confirmed to Fox News Digital. (WDRB)

Six other victims with non-life-threatening injuries had also taken themselves to the hospital.

SHOOTING AT OAKLAND JUNETEENTH CELEBRATION LEAVES MULTIPLE INJURED, POLICE SAY

Louisville police said they have no suspects in the early Saturday shooting. (WDRB)

The H20 club, located at 25th and Broadway, decided to close after the shooting, the Louisville Courier Journal reported, citing a statement from the Louisville Metro Alcoholic Beverage Control.

The shooting happened at a nightclub called H20. (WDRB)

“This decision, made in light of our shared concerns for public safety, allows them time to mourn the tragic loss of their employee while ensuring the community’s well-being,” the statement stated. “The relationship of the victims, if any, is not known at this time.”

Read the full article from Here

Southeast

NASCAR's Daniel Suarez, from Mexico, becomes American citizen: 'I did it my way'

Published

17 hours ago

June 25, 2024

Press Room

NASCAR driver Daniel Suarez is now an American citizen.

Suarez, from Mexico, took the oath at the field office of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services in Charlotte, North Carolina.

It wasn’t just the nearly 50 people becoming citizens there for the special day – even NASCAR president Steve Phelps was there, along with members of the rackhouse Racing team, as well as his fiancee.

All of that took Suarez by surprise.

NASCAR driver Daniel Suarez waves an American flag during a naturalization ceremony, June 18, 2024, in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Noah Watts/Daylon Barr Photography, Trackhouse Racing via AP)

“The most special part of everything was, you see so many people there,” Suarez said Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. “I was not expecting it. I was not expecting to see so many people.”

“I didn’t think many people were going to really care about it,” Suarez said. “A lot of people really did.”

Suarez’s parents had actually thought about traveling to the United States for his birth, but it wound up being too expensive.

“It’s really funny how my parents, they had that thought before I was born, about being born in the United States, I guess to have more opportunities. They didn’t do it,” he said. “And now, I guess I did it my way.”

NASCAR driver Daniel Suarez stands for the “oath of allegiance” during a naturalization ceremony, June 18, 2024, in Charlotte. (Noah Watts/Daylon Barr Photography, Trackhouse Racing via AP)

TODD GILLILAND 1-ON-1: ON HIS RACING ROOTS, PROGRESS HE’S MADE IN 2024

Suarez admitted that becoming a citizen wasn’t originally a thought.

“It wasn’t a dream of mine,” Suarez said. “I came to this country to race and compete. I had been working really hard to try and go to the next step and be more competitive. In a blink of an eye, I’ve been already here 12 years.”

He learned, and dedicated himself to, the process of becoming a citizen about six years ago – his team even quizzed him in April in Dover ahead of his citizenship test.

“I felt like it was the right time to start this process. Slowly, I’m getting more and more responsibilities in my life. It was the right time to feel more secure; that I belong here.”

Daniel Suarez walks the grid during qualifying for the NASCAR Cup Series Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway on June 8, 2024, in California. (Logan Riely/Getty Images)

Suarez has two career Cup wins – including the closest finish ever at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.

Read the full article from Here